Villagers volunteer to protect birds in Jianshi county, C China’s Hubei

Villagers have been volunteering to protect rare birds, including golden pheasants, a national second-class protected bird species, for years in Baiguotan village, located deep in the mountains in Huaping township, Jianshi county, central China’s Hubei Province.

Photo shows a golden pheasant, a national second-class protected bird species, in Baiguotan village, Jianshi county,  central China’s Hubei Province. (Photo/People’s Daily Online)

Mei Yansheng is one of the bird rangers in the village. Inspired by bird lovers and a publicity campaign on bird protection, Mei realized the importance of protecting birds, and set up a simple golden pheasant observation site in the village in 2009, as the birds decked with beautiful and colorful feathers attracted shutterbugs from far and wide.

Mei has won the title of Top 10 Bird Ranger in Hubei for his bird protection efforts over the past more than 10 years.

In 2018, Jianshi county established an official golden pheasant observation site and a protection and management station for national natural forest resources in Baiguotan village. The observation site in the village is one of only three for wild golden pheasants in China.

“Golden pheasants have very strict requirements for their habitats. They inhabit dense forests with rich water resources and little human activity,” explained Yuan Pengzhou, head of the forest management station of Huaping township.

The population of golden pheasants has increased to over 150 in Baiguotan village.

The bird species has drawn visitors from 14 provincial-level regions, including Inner Mongolia, Sichuan, Hainan, Shandong and Shanxi. Visitors have helped farmers boost their incomes and inspired villagers to protect birds.

“More and more people have come here to photograph golden pheasants thanks to the increasing population of the bird species. Some visitors dine and stay overnight at villagers’ homes, bringing us wealth,” Chen Jing’an, a resident of Baiguotan village, said with a smile.

With a forest coverage rate of 67.49 percent, Jianshi county is home to 207 bird species and has attached great importance to the protection of wildlife.

“We will enhance efforts to protect golden pheasants, facilitate afforestation by restricting access to mountain areas where the birds live to provide a better habitat for the species, and strengthen law enforcement to combat illegal acts of harming wildlife and their habitats,” said Yuan.